ANNUAL REPORT 2009-2010 Supporting broadcasters in Africa to strengthen small-scale farming and rural communities 2009-2010 THANK YOU Doug Ward (President) Heather E. Hudson Millions of small-scale farmers and their Retired Producer and Vice President, CBC Professor, University of San Francisco families benefited this year from the Radio Graham McLeod generosity of our friends and supporters. We Nancy Brown Andison (Treasurer) Patent & Trade-mark Agent, Blake, Cassels & gratefully acknowledge the financial support Executive, IBM Canada Ltd Graydon of the many individuals, groups, corporations Helen Hambly Odame (Vice-President) Janette McDonald and foundations who gave to Farm Radio Associate Professor, University of Guelph Farm Communication Specialist International. We would like to make special mention of the following donors: Bernard Pelletier Charles Marful Lecturer and Research Associate, McGill Director, Human Resources Tax Practice, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through a University Ernst & Young grant to World University Service of Canada* Anthony Anyia Sarah Andrewes Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Program Leader/Scientist, Alberta Research Vice-President, Hill & Knowlton CAW – Social Justice Fund Council John Morriss Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta Associate Publisher and Editorial Director, Commonwealth of Learning Bill Stunt Farm Business Communications David Frere Production Manager, CBC Radio, Music Glenn B. Powell Donner Canadian Foundation Freelance writer and communications John van Mossell consultant International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Senior consultant, Marbek , Ottawa Les Soeurs de la Congrégation de Notre Dame Neil Ford McCain Foundation Chief, Media and Communications Branch, Kevin Perkins United Nations Population Fund Secretary of the Board and Executive Oscroft Ltd. Director S.M. Blair Family Foundation The McLean Foundation The N.A. Taylor Foundation FARM RADIO INTERNATIONAL Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural 1404 Scott Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4M8 Cooperation (CTA) BOARD OF DIRECTORS BOARD Tel: 613-761-3650 Fax: 613-798-0990 Water Integrity Network Toll Free: 1-888-773-7717 *With funding provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates e-mail: [email protected] Foundation to WUSC, Farm Radio International is www.farmradio.org proud to be implementing the African Farm Radio Charitable Registration Number (BN) 11888 4808 RR0001 Research Initiative (AFRRI). 1 "Serving agriculture, the basic industry. This is George Atkins." “Millions of the poorest of the poor farmers of With deep sadness we marked the passing of our founder, Dr. George Atkins, on November 30, 2009. He was 92. the world are hearing this information to help them increase their food supplies and have George Atkins listened to farmers. And his best advice to better nutrition and health. If that isn't what's broadcasters was just that: listen to the farmers. George helping people in developing countries, I learned from farmers. In fact, we don't think George ever don't know what is. met a farmer from whom he didn't learn something. I have to pinch myself when I think of the people who are helped by this service that is George was a well known CBC farm broadcaster in the available to them by just turning on their fifties, sixties and seventies. Always an advocate for farming and the family farmer, he signed off his radio reports with radio.” "Serving agriculture, the basic industry, this is George Atkins." - George S. Atkins, Farm Radio International founder, 1917-2009 In 1979, following retirement from the CBC, George created Developing Countries Farm Radio Network (since renamed Farm Radio International), the world's only organization dedicated to supporting small farmers and their families “For me, George was an inspiration. He through the use of radio - the one medium they all use. Since made it clear that, as broadcasters, we can then he sustained our organization with his leadership, vision use the experience we have gathered to help and boundless energy. others. He will always stand as a guiding symbol of how one person with passion and At Farm Radio International, we will miss his regular determination in a cause can really make a encouragement, good humour and sense of celebration. We difference.” are strengthened by the example of his persistence, and we - Lloyd Robertson, Chief News Anchor and Senior will honour that memory in our work every day. News Editor, CTV News 2 New Technology Meets Old Radio he year 2009-2010 was a remarkable period of reflection, celebration, loss and hope for Farm Radio TInternational. We marked the 30th anniversary of the organization, reflecting on our roots and celebrating the distance we have come since then. Then, on November 30, 2009, we received word that George Atkins, the founder of Developing Countries Farm Radio Network, its first executive director and an active board mem- ber until 2008, had died at the age of 92. It was a tremendous loss. But it was also a time to recommit to the vision that inspired Farm Radio International and to carry on in our efforts to strengthen and improve our serv- ices. 2009-2010 was also a year of great learning and innovation for everyone involved in Farm Radio International. Through our third scriptwriting competition, we discovered the power of facilitated e-learning in helping farm broadcasters develop new skills and support each other over the Internet. Careful evaluation of our Participatory Radio Campaign model revealed to us that well-produced radio strategies aimed at smallholder farmers lead to significant, measurable changes in the practices of farmers and in the ways that extension services are offered to them. Experiments in the use of mobile phones, digital audio devices (MP3 players) and interactive voice response systems revealed to us that, rather than replacing the “old technology” of radio, these new devices are most powerful when they are linked with radio. We found new ways to use information and communication technologies to make radio more interactive and more responsive to farmers’ needs, and more effectively give farmers a voice. In the midst of these exciting developments, our reflections on George’s life and his strong values served to remind us that, in the end, it is all about the farmer. When all was said and done, this is what mattered to George. It is with humility that I thank our many donors, volunteers, partners, participants, dedicated and capable staff and strong board of directors for making this service possible. In particular, I am indebted to Doug Ward, the President and Chair of the Board of Farm Radio International, for inspirational leadership grounded in deep and rich experience in radio and social justice. Kevin Perkins Executive Director EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S 3 PROGRAM OVERVIEW arm Radio International was created 30 years ago with the Faim of enabling broadcasters in developing countries to pro- Farm Radio Weekly vide better radio programs that meet the specific needs of small- We added an e-mail news service for radio broadcasters to our holder farmers. Why radio? Simply, it is the most widely avail- information services in 2008. In the past year, it provided an able mass communication medium for the developing world. ever-growing number of African broadcasters with a treasured source of weekly news stories related to the interests of African Script Service smallholder farmers. In the coming year we will be establishing From day one, a core service of Farm Radio International has two Farm Radio Weekly News Bureaus in Africa to source and been the production and distribution of radio scripts that African produce original news stories featuring the voices and broadcasters can use for programs that serve smallholder perspectives of farming women and men. farmers. This core work continued in 2009-2010, with three new script packages published and distributed to 350 radio partners Research across 39 countries in Africa. The packages covered a range of Our African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI) has been the important themes, including smallholder innovation, livestock source of many innovations and important learning about how health, climate change adaptation and rice production. But while radio serves farming communities. We refined the Participatory the basic script service remains the same, we innovated in some Radio Campaign (PRC) methodology that is at the core of AFRRI, important ways that make it much more helpful to our and measured the results through careful evaluation. The broadcasting partners: empowering, participatory elements of our PRC model were recognized by the Agricultural Learning & Impacts Network 1. We helped African scriptwriters to develop the skills to write (ALINe) when it selected Farm Radio International as a winner of more and better scripts themselves. We used a scriptwriting their Farmer Voice Award. We have also pioneered a number of competition (focused on smallholder farmer innovations) coupled exciting ways to use new information communication with a brand new training course on scriptwriting skills offered technologies (ICTs) – such as cell phones, the internet and via the internet to support about 80 African broadcasters in interactive voice response – to make radio a more interactive writing better scripts. medium, facilitating dialogue and knowledge exchange. 2. We engaged a team of senior writers in Africa and worked Some of the highlights from these innovations and discoveries with them to continuously strengthen the quality of their work. are profiled in the pages ahead. 3. We added new features to the script package, such as the issue pack, providing broadcasters with background information and production ideas about a range of topics. 4 Information Services Third Annual Scriptwriting Competition: Winning Script Excerpt: Sawdust Smallholder Farmer Innovation Prolongs the Storage Life of Potatoes In July 2009, we invited radio practitioners across sub- Saharan Africa to find a true story of a smallholder farmer Excerpt from Script 90.1, by John Cheburet, (or group of farmers) from their region who had developed Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.